Summer Arts Scene

I ran across this piece over the weekend and just had to share. From Maryland Theatre Guide:

News: Arts organizations announce schedule of summer events in downtown Columbia

Writer Carolyn Keleman fits the maximum amount of arts info possible into this piece. If you want to know what’s happening this summer, I’d recommend starting with this article. It also has a certain kind of stylishness that made me smile.

As frequent readers of the blog know, I don’t often make it out to public functions, but I did happen to be at this one, held at Cured/18th & 21st. Ms. Keleman described attendees as follows:

These folks – a few artists but mostly influential politicos and business executives – were there to hear representatives from local organizations preview the upcoming summer schedule of arts and cultural events in downtown Columbia.

Well, I dance with preschoolers at the Chrysalis. I guess that puts me in the artist category. I’m also one of the biggest fans of the Inner Arbor Trust/Merriweather Park in Symphony Woods. It was fascinating to be in a room so clearly abuzz with so many different local arts ventures. There was a continued slide show running that highlighted upcoming summer events. It was pretty impressive. 

Howard County Tourism’s Art for All page might be a good place to start if you are looking for something to do.There’s a pretty good balance between ticketed events and free ones. Take a look.

Even if the event is free to you, don’t forget that means that businesses and other donors had to put forth sponsorships to make it happen. It’s gratifying to see the range of entities willing to associate themselves with supporting local arts institutions. County Executive Calvin Ball articulated a strong support for arts experiences in his opening remarks, saying that the arts should be a part of who we are as a community, and that the arts make us whole.

I couldn’t agree more.